Pride score early, often to begin title defense with blowout of Stars

Haley McCutcheon's seventh-minute goal set the tempo, while Barbra Banda recorded a brace and an assist, as the reigning NWSL champion Orlando Pride rolled to a season-opening 6-0 win over the visiting Chicago Stars on Friday night.

Ally Watt also scored, while Banda set up Julie Doyle's second-half score, after she positioned herself to force a Chicago own goal. Then Banda posted insurance tallies in the 80th and 87th minutes on a night the Pride (1-0-0, 3 points) raised the club's first NWSL championship banner.

Orlando keeper Anna Moorhouse was hardly tested, needing to make just two saves as the hosts extended their home unbeaten run to 18 matches.

Chicago (0-0-1, 0 points), without star Mallory Swanson due to personal reasons, allowed eight shots on target, and 26 overall, in a rematch of last season's playoff quarterfinals, which the Pride won 4-1.

Orlando wasted no time applying pressure. After veteran Chicago goalkeeper Alyssa Naeher sent away back-to-back, point-blank shots from Watt and Marta within the first three minutes, McCutcheon's left-footed liner, off a pass from Morgan Gautrat, snuck into the right corner of the net. Watt made it 2-0 via a brilliant leaping header off Marta's corner on 36 minutes.

Within the first two minutes of the second half, Orlando opened a 3-0 lead. Looking to keep Banda from converting an up-close cross, Chicago's Hannah Anderson knocked the ball into her own net.

Banda sent a brilliant cross-box pass for Doyle, who left later with a leg injury, to drill home in the 65th.

--Field Level Media